Rebound reducing means for cartruck springs



C. R. BUSCH REBOUND REDUCING MEANS FOR CAR-TRUCK SPRINGS ay u, 1937.

Filed Nov. 22, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,Y mm Y Na I A A l A w; MY E M u,1937. C. R. BUSCH 2,079,985

REBOUND REDUCING MEANS FOR CAR-TRUCK SPRINGS Filed NOV. 22. 1933 3SheetS-Sheet'l 2 l/ ATTORNEY May 11, 1937- c. R. BUSCH REBOUND REDUCINGMEANS FOR CAR-TRUCK SPRINGS Filed Nov. 22, 1933 3 Shees-Sheefl 3 .nuhul.

INVENTOR [HA/nfs 50.56A/

ATTORNEY where and if that is used. In most cases the members of the cartruck are not altered and the standard corings, holes, seats, etc. maybe employed, so that if desired little if any change need be made in thetruck members. While a helically coiled spring is preferred aleaf-spring can be used with the rebound reducer.

As the action of the supporting springs of the car is downward it isnecessary to compress the rebound reducing or absorbing spring to apoint where its capacity will be suflicient to break up the cycle ofrebound which occurs with the usual railway car springs. The point atwhich the rebound reduction will satisfactorily occur will vary with thecapacity of the car springs, but a definite ratio, travel, and free andsolid heights of both types of springs should be maintained, and oncethe cycle of rebound is broken in the railway car springs, the harmonicaction of such springs cannot develop.

By locating the rebound reducing means in accordance with the presentinvention, this not only makes the application thereof a simple one, butaffords direct action on the railway car springs. In addition to theabsorbing capacity of the rebound reducing means, the location permitsadded effectiveness because of the leverage created, for as the railwaycar body is carried on a center plate with two side bearings on eachside thereof with a large clearance, it will be understood that when thecar enters upon an unlevel track or low joints, the car body will tiltto the low side bearing due to its high center of gravity and the loadline will accordingly shift from the center line outward to a point evenas far as the side bearing, which action creates a lever arm movement onthe opposite rebound reducing spring, thus increasing its capacity inproportion to the low elevation which is encountered.

The preceding pointing out some of the important objects of the presentinvention, the same consists of certain features of construction andcombinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed andexplained in connection with the accompanying drawings illustratingpreferred and modified features of the present invention, and in whichFig. 1 is a sectional elevation transversely of a railway car truckshowing a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein the truckbolster is shown in a tilted position such as may occur when a springnest at one side of the car truck may be compressed and the spring nestat the other side unloaded;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section on the line 2 2, Fig. l, in thedirection of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a broken side elevation as viewed from one side of the cartruck partly represented in Fig. 1, the view being partly in section;

Fig. 4 is a broken sectional elevation of parts Aof a car truck showinga modifedvaddition to what is shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 5 5, Fig. 4, in thedirection of the arrows, wherein the truck bolster is omitted;

Fig. 6 shows another modication partly in section and in elevationtransversely of a car truck, this modification disclosing an ellipticspring in substitution for the helical rebound reducing spring of thepreceding gures;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a modification showing parts in elevatruck bolster, the springnest, the spring plank tion and in section transversely of a car truck,the rebound reducing spring being anchored to the car truck bolsterinstead of to the compression or tension members of the side frame as inthe preceding views.

1n the drawings, only parts of the usual members of a railway car truckis shown,l for to fully understand the invention it is unnecessary orthose skilled in the art to have the other members of the car truckillustrated. Referring to Figs. l, 2 and 3 the illustrated well knownmembers of a freight car truck body are the side frames i5, i6, truckbolster il, and spring plank la, the side frames ld, i6 having largeopenings i@ for receiving and guiding the ends of the truck bolster, andthe truck bolster having a center plate 20 on which the bolster of thebody of the car rests and is supported in well known manner. Springnests or clusters of springs 2 l 22 may each comprise four springs 23made of large gauge spring bar metal, within which are arranged foursmaller springs 24 made of spring bar metal of smaller gauge, suchspring nests or clusters being 'conned between end plates 25, 26. Suchspring nests or clusters are well known in the art. These spring nestsmay be applied and inserted between the ends of the bolster il and thespring plank lil upon which they rest, in the usual manner. Thesemembers are preferably of the usual types of construction, and it isunnecessary to make any substantial changes in them, and preferably nochanges, in order to carry out the invention to be described, althoughit may be possible to omit the spring plank.

In the usual manner each side frame l5, i6

preferably includes the compression member 2l and the tension member 28which extend along the upper and lower portions, respectively, of eachside frame. The improvements to be described herein are best locatedbetween the coincident vertical side planes of ea'ch side frame and areanchored to tension member 28, although in other forms of the inventionthe anchorage may be otherwise obtained. A bolt or rod 29 which ispreferably positioned substantially coincident with the vertical axis ofeach spring nest 2l or 22 extends through a hole 30 in the upper web ofthe tension member 28, through a hole 3l in the bottom of the bolsterand a hole 32 in the top of the bolster, which is usually hollow, and asthere are two such bolts orrods 29, one at each end of the truckbolster, a description of the concomitantly associated parts of one ofthem will suice for the other.

Each bolt or rod 29 passes through a helically coiled spring, one spring33 at one end of the bolster having a counterpart spring 34 at the otherend. The bars of these helical springs 33, 34 are preferably of largegauge, say an inch or somewhat less in diameter. Each helical spring 33,34 is here shown as being seated at its lower end upon the correspondingend portion of the bottom of the bolster, so that it is located withinthe hollow of the bolster. These helical springs 33, 34 will be referredto herein as rebound reducing or absorbing springs, inasmuch as theconstruction and arrangement of the parts is such that they act to checkthe rebound which is due to the unloading action of the spring nests 2l,22.

in order to anchor each bar or rod 29 in place, that is to provide anabutment or fixation point for each rod 29, a nut 35 is screwed onto thescrew threaded lower end of the rod which screw threaded end extendsinto the hollow portion of the tension member 28, while the nut 35 ispositioned in such hollow. Each nut 35 is provided with extensionsforming wings 36, so that a locking or anchoring member is providedwhich is oi elongated shape, as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. Thelocking element is inserted into the hollow of the tension member 28 andthe bolt or rod 29 is screwed thereinto, it passing at this pointthrough the hole 30. The elongation of the locking element 35, 36prevents substantial turning thereof when screwing the bolt thereintoinasmuch as the length of the element is greater than the width of thehollow of the tension member in which it is located. The bolt or rod iiiis provided with a head 31 shaped to receive a suitable wrench and suchhead preferably extends above the bolster for the convenlent applicationoi the wrench. A spring centering cap and seat 38 is positioned underthe head of each bolt 2u and provides a suitable abutment centering andseating for the upper end of each rebound reducing spring 33, :34. Aboss 39 is preferably iorrned on the nut 35 ci vthe locking element soas to enter the hole 30 in the upper wall oi the tension member of theside frame, thereby to center the bolt or rod 29. Clearance is providedbetween the boss 39 and the. wall of the hole til and clearance is alsoprovided between the bolt or rod 29 and the wall oi the hole di in thebolster, inasmuch as under certain conditions it may be necessary iorthe bolt to have a slight lateral movement when the car truclr is inmotion.

When the bolts or rods id have been screwed' into the loclring elementsat their lower ends they are screwed in sufficiently or adjustedinwardly or outwardly to such position as to set the rebound reducingsprings 33, dd under preferablyr one inch oi initial compression, sothat while such springs are under compression their coils are yet openor separated and not jammed together. When the described improvementsare properly installed in a car truck, the coils oi the rebound reducingsprings will be open between the coils and there will be allowed theproper or ordinary clearances between the truck bolster and the tensionmembers of the side frames and between the well known side bearings atopposite sides or the car truck, the condition thus established beingthat for a light car, that is one with the car body unloaded, which willassure a position or" the bolster normal to the truck. When a car bodyhaving a truck provided with the present improvements is unloaded, therebound reducing springs will therefore have been initially set undercompression, so that each such spring may either expand or contractunder the conditions established by the action oi the spring nest, andthe rebound reducing springs will act in direct opposition thereto, withthe result that even with a light car the teetering thereof is absorbed,reduced or checked, inasmuch'as there is a rebound reducing spring ateach end of the bolster, the two working together. By referring to liig.l it will be seen that the bolster i1 has been tilted, and this may bedue to various forces established by the car running along a track,particularly when a car truck at the rear end of a car body enters acurve, or when there may be warpage of the track either on curves ortangents, and such a tilt of the bolster may be otherwise established bythe car body changing its center of gravity. It will be seen that whenone end of the truck bolster tilts downwardly, the compression of thespring nest 2l will result,

but that on the unloading of such spring nest which causes the rebound,the opposing rebound reducing spring 33 will tend to check or absorb thesame. At the same time that one end of the bolster l1 moves downwardly,the other end thereof will move upwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, with theresult that the spring nest 32 at that end will expand, while theopposing rebound reducing spring 34 will be contracted and when itexpands it will greatly assist the spring nest 2l at the other end ofthe bolster in returning the same to a position normal to the truck.

In other words, inasmuch as a light car has a high center oi gravity,the unloading of the spring nests such as 2|, 22 causes the car body toroll and when it begins to roll the unloading oi the springs 2l, 22would tend to create a harmonic ation thereof, which unless dissipatedas by the present improvements, great damage to the ladings, iia carwill be loaded, is caused, and in some cases derailments are caused. Itwill be understood that ii a car having a car truck provided with thepresent improvements is loaded moreor less, that the spring nest will beslightly compressed and the rebound reducing springs slightly expandedbeyond the normal open position of the coils of springs 33, 3d. Each'.rebound reducing spring will have a more or less deilnite ratio to thecar truck springs, so that whether a car is loaded or unloaded, suchsprings may compress downwardly, while the rebound reducing springs 33,t4 retard the rebound by breaking it up to the capacity of the reboundreducing springs. lt will be noted that the ultimate travel oi therebound reducing springs is greater than the ultimate travel of the cartruclr springs 2i, 2r to prevent breakage of the springs.

In Figs. ll and 5 oi the drawings there is illustrated a modification oithe invention as shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, such modification residingin means for establishing friction, with a tendency to cause the reboundreducing` springs to somewhat ballr against any tendency to compressthem by the unloading of the spring nests at either end oi the bolster.In Figs. 4 and 5 and the remaining iigures of the drawings the samereference numerals will ordinarily be used for the principal members ofa car truck as have been used in connection with Figs. l, 2 and 3.

The side frame l5 may as before include the customary compression member2l and tension member 2d and bolster Il which is supported by thesprings 23, 24 of the spring nest which receives its support from thetension member 2B,

although resting on the spring plank iii. As betore the headed bolt orrod 29 extends approximately midway oi the thickness of the side frameso as to extend upwardly approximately coincident with the centralvertical axis of the spring nest, its upper end protruding through theopening 32 in the top of the bolster. The upper end of the reboundreducing spring 33 is seated against the cap or flange 43 which isconned under the head of the bolt 29, and integrally with the same thereis provided a spreader member 4l forming a male member which is confinedwithin the upper coils of the spring 33. The male member 4l is adaptedto act upon a 'sectional expansion or female member, including in eachsection a Vertical portion 42 provided at its lower end with a baseflange 43 which rests upon the bottom of the bolster I1. These sectionsof the female member are preferably four in number so as to provide asplit sleeve which is located within the lower coils of the spring 33 soas to surround 75 CFI the bolt or rod 29 and to receive the lower end ofthe male member 4i. The male member or spreader is formed with a conicalor tapering lower end 44 which engages complementarly tapered upper ends45 of the vertical portions 42 of the female member.

Inasmuch as the helical coils of the spring 33 are separated or spacedapart when the bolster is in a position normal to the truck and theentire assembly is anchored by the bolt or rod 29 to the tension member28 of the side-frame, it will be seen that if the corresponding end ofthe bolster should move above such normal position, the spring 33 willbe compressed. When pressure is exerted on the assembly the frictiondevice 4|, 42 is contracted, inasmuch as the tapered end of the spreader4i drives into the sections of the female member, which'causes thelatter to tend to expand the coils. of the spring 33, thereby creating aconsiderable friction force on the respective frictionally engagedsurfaces. This action plus the load necessary to compress the spring 33creates tremendous shock absorbing qualities. Therefore, thismodiiication in Figs. 4 and 5 provides a friction rebound absorbing orchecking means against extraordinary upwardly directed loading forces.As the spring 33 is seated upon the flanges 49 and 43 it causes thefriction units to release from each other by the expansion of suchspring when the load is released.

Inasmuch as in the modification illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 some of theparts are the same as in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, the same referencenumerals are used for corresponding parts. The side frame includes theusual compression member 21 and tension member 28, together with bolsterI1, spring nest I8, bolt or rod 29 having the wrench head 31, and thenut 35, whereby the bolt 29 and hence the abutment member 31 areanchored in a xed position relatively to the tension member 28. The onlystructural difference between what is disclosed in Fig. l and in Figs. 6and 7 is that in the latter the rebound reducing spring which opposesthe supporting springs for the bolster is of the semi-elliptic type oflaminated spring leaves. In this modification the longer semi-ellipticleaf 19 rests at its ends upon the bottom of the bolster, while `theshorter leaf abuts the head 31 of the bolt or rod 29. The laminatedelliptic spring has the bolt or rod 31 passed through the middle thereofand it also is to be set under initial compression, so

that the bolster i1 may compress the elliptic spring 19, 80 when it is,shifted above its position normal to the truck and will be acted upon bysuch elliptic spring on the rebound of the spring nest supporting it.Preferably the elliptic spring extends longitudinally with the bolsterin this modification, inasmuch as it is located in the hollow of thebolster. On account of the required length of the semi-elliptic spring19, 80 its ends will extend somewhat beyond the opposite sides of theside frame.

In Fig. 8 a further modification is illustrated wherein a reboundreducing spring is positioned at the tension member of the side frame.The compression member 93 and tension member 94 are the same aspreviously, except that it may be necessary to specially form thetension member or to cut a hole in the bottom thereof. Bolster 95 andspring nest 96 may be of the usual type and construction. A bolt or rod91 is provided with a head 98 at its upper end, such head resting upon awasher 99 upon the bottom of the bolster and below the usual aperture MDin the top thereof. Through this aperture the bolt 91 may be inserted sothat it will extend through an opening drilled in the bottom of thebolster in a position substantially coincident with the central verticalaxis of the spring nest 96.

The tension member '94 usually has the hole 09H, and through this holethe bolt or rod 91 extends downwardly. Surrounding the rod 91 there islocated within the tension member 99 a rebound reducing spring H62 ofhelical type, while a nut it@ is screwed upon the screw threaded lowerend H94 of the rod, so that the spring M2 is conned between such nut andthe upper web of the tension member 94. In order to locate spring E02within the tension member of the side frame, its lower portion isprovided with a hole or channel it.

It will be noted that in the modification, Fig. 8, the anchorage of therod 91 is established at the bolster, so that the nut 103 provides anabutment for the spring H32 which always moves with .the bolster, thatis it is immovable relatively to the bolster when the rebound reducingmeans are in action.

It is to be distinctly understood that the invention included in thedescribed and illustrated improvements does. not necessarily mean thatany change is required in the arrangement or construction of the springnests which are now or may be employed for supporting a car truckbolster.

The salient principle of the present invention resides in the following:As the weight of an empty car body or the normal load imposed by it onthe truck bolster compresses the supporting springs to a certain extent,such compression is somewhat assisted by the rebound reducing spring ofthe present invention. Inasmuch as the rebound reducing spring isinitially compressed, for say one inch, or more or less depending uponthe spring itself, especially if the same is of the helical type, thecoils thereof are not jammed up to each other and any additional load onthe truck bolster will further compress the supporting springs but therebound reducing spring will expand by its own action, while on theother hand, and most important, any movement of the bolster upwardlyfrom its position normal to the truck, as where its car is unloaded andcontains no ladings, will be resisted all the greater by the reboundreducing spring the further the bolster moves up, and` this is truewhether or not the car is loaded. This action is especially valuable inconnection with a bolster which tilts endwise relative to its positionnormal with the truck.

Whether or not a spring plank is omitted from the usual car truckequipment, it is obvious that the described and illustrated improvementsare susceptible to more or less modication as will be clear to thoseskilled in this art, and the invention is not restricted except asdefined in the appended claims.

What I claim as new is,

1. In a car truck, the combination of a side frame, a relatively movablebolster, supporting springs on the side frame for the bolster, a boltabutting the side frame, and a member coacting with a hole in the sideframe and holding-the bolt in such abutting relation, the bolt extendingup into and terminating in the hollow interior of the bolster, a xedabutment on the bolt, and a rebound reducing spring located between theabutment and bolster and bearing on both in opposition to the supportingsprings, such reducing spring free to expand or contract at all timeswhether the bolster is shifted either above or below its position normalto the truck.

2. In a car truck, the combination of a side trame, a relatively movablebolster, supporting springs on the side frame for the bolster, a boltabutting the side frame, and a member coacting with a hole in the sideframe and holding the bolt in such abutting relation, the bolt extendingup into the bolster, the bolster having a hole of relatively much largerdiameter than the bolt to permit such extension and to space the boltfrom the bolster, a fixed abutment on the bolt, and a rebound reducingspring located between the abutment and bolster and bearing on both inopposition to the supporting springs, such reducing spring free toexpand or contract at all times Whether the bolster is shifted eitherabove or below its position normal to the truck.

3. In a car truck, the combination of a side trame, a relatively movablebolster, supporting springs on the side frame for the bolster, a boltresisted against upward movement by the tension member of the side frameat a point approximately midway of the opposite lateral surfaces of thethickness of such member, the bolt extending up into the bolster, a xedabutment on the bolt, and a rebound reducing spring located between theabutment and bolster and bearing on both in opposition to the supportingsprings.

4. In a car truck, the combination of a side frame, a relatively movablebolster, supporting springs on the side frame for the bolster, a boltheld in abutting relation with the Side frame, means for so holding thebolt directly between the compression and tension members of the sideframe at approximately the middle plane between the opposite sides ofsuch members, the bolt extending up into the bolster, a fixed abutmenton the bolt, and a rebound reducing spring located between the abutmentand bolster and bearing on both in opposition to the supporting springs.

5. In a car truck, the combination of a side frame and a relativelymovable bolster constituting two members of a car truck, supportingsprings on the side frame for the' bolster, an abutment on one of suchmembers and immovable relatively thereto, a rebound reducing springlocated between the abutment and the other member and bearing on both ofthem in opposition to the supporting springs, and being free to expandor contract, and cooperating, individually rigid, elements associatedwith the rebound reducing spring tending to limit the degree ofcompression thereof.

6. In a car truck, the combination of a side frame and a relativelymovable bolster constituting two members of a car truck, supportingsprings on the side frame for the bolster, an

abutment on one of such members and immovable relatively thereto, arebound reducing spring located between the abutment and the othermember and bearing on both of them in opposition to the supportingsprings, and being free to expand or contract, and means associated withthe rebound reducing spring tending to limit the degree of compressionthereof, such means including friction members, one of which isexpansible, and the rebound reducing spring being helical and acted onby the expansion member.

7. In a car truck, the combination of a side frame and a relativelymovable bolster constituting two members of a car truck, supportingsprings on the side frame for the bolster, an abutment on one of suchmembers and immovable relatively thereto, a rebound reducing springlocated between the abutment and the other member and bearing on both ofthem in opposition to the supporting springs, and being free to expandor contract, at all times with respect to the position of the bolsternormal to the truck inasmuch as the reducing spring is set under aninitial compression, together with means surrounded by that springtending to limit the degree of its compression when under load.

8. In a car truck, the combination of a truck side frame, a relativelymovable truck bolster, supporting springs for the bolster supported bythe tension member of the side frame, a bolt or rod anchored to thebolster and depending therefrom within the supporting springs, anabutment on the lower end of the bolt, and a rebound reducing springbearing on the tension member oi the side frame and the abutment inopposition to the supporting springs, such reducing spring free toexpand or contract at all times with respect to the position of thebolster normal to the truck and with respect to the tension member.

9. In a car truck, the combination of a side frame and a relativelymovable bolster constituting two members of the car truck, a supportingspring-nest on the side frame for the bolster, a body in the nature of abolt held in a denite position on one of such members against relativemovement to such member in one direction, and said bolt located on aline substantially coincident with the central vertical axis of thcspring nest, the other member having a hole with a diameter which is somuch greater than that of the bolt-like body as to permit the freepassage of and a lateral movement of the bolt, and said bolt providedwith an abutment, and a rebound reducing spring located entirely beyondthe horizontal planes of the spring nest and between the abutment andsaid other member and bearing on them in opposition to the supportingsprings, and free from action on the lower plate of the spring nest,such reducing spring free to expand or contract at all times whether thebolster is shifted either above or below its position normal to thetruck.

10. In a car truck, the combination of truck side frames, a bolsterbetween the frames and tiltable relatively thereto, springs resting onthe side frames for tiltably supporting the bolster from both ends,adjustable abutments, means supporting the abutments immovably withrespect to the bolster in a predeterminq-ed adjusted position, eachabutment located on a line substantially coincident with the centralvertical axis of the supporting springs corresponding therewith, andrebound reducing springs located entirely beyond the horizontal planesof the supporting springs and bearing upon the side frames and theabutments with a tendency to move the bolster in a direction opposite tothe direction in which the supporting springs act, each such reducingspring being free from action on the extreme lower .ends of thesupporting springs and free to expand or contract at all times whetherthe bolster is tilted on the sup-- porting springs either above or belowits position normal to the truck.

CHARLES R.. BUSCH.

